The 10 Most Overrated Players in Detroit Lions History

It's no secret that in recent years, the Detroit Lions have botched a few draft picks. Some of significant stature, some not so much. While the Lions seem to have slowly found their way out of the Matt Millen forest, there is no denying that there are still some draft selections that will haunt them forever.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear beyond this point. The term overrated does NOT mean a player isn't any good. It simply means that their legacy was overinflated a bit for one reason or another. So calm down, breathe and enjoy.

Without further ado, the 10 most overrated players in Detroit Lions history.

Scott Mitchell, Quarterback

Ah, Scott Mitchell. Remember him? The dude that only had one—count them—ONE good season with the Lions? That same season, by the way, happened to be the one where he set the franchise single-season passing record after signing with the Lions from Miami. You'd think that as Dan Marino's backup, he'd have some better performances.

Mitchell was the quintessential 1990s quarterback. He was tall (6'6"), built like a tank at a modest 245 pounds and was left handed, which for some reason seems to still make offensive coordinators' mouths water to this day.

Yet, even with the likes of Herman Moore, Barry Sanders and his favorite target, David Sloan, Mitchell still couldn't seem to get the ball rolling for more than one season.

Hey, there's a reason Lomas Brown said what he said during a radio interview earlier this year, whether he was joking or not.

Mitchell was known more for making fun of Wayne Fontes than he was for throwing touchdowns. However, he did manage to lead the Lions to two playoff appearances in 1995 and 1997.

After that '97 loss to Tampa Bay, though, Mitchell quickly found himself a journeyman, finishing out his career in Cincinnati and Baltimore.

The broken ribs and other injuries he suffered didn't help matters much.

Roy Williams, Wide Receiver

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

And, cue the "Eye of the Tiger" melody! Roy! Roy, Roy, Roy! Anyway...

Former wide receiver Roy Williams checks in thanks in large part because of his on-the-field antics.

How many of you remember when the Lions would be blown out of games, especially in the dreadful 0-16 season, and Williams was still giving the first-down sign? His comments made about unnamed teammates made Williams out to be a prima donna as opposed to a good locker room presence.

Dre Bly, Cornerback

Brian Killian/Getty Images

When I first learned of the Dre Bly signing, I thought that maybe—just maybe—the Lions finally did something right. Bly came from the St. Louis Rams with a pedigree. He had speed, he had a nose for the ball and he would make the big play when it counted, so the scouting report said. And he had one thing that the Lions didn't have—a Super Bowl ring.

But even if you call Bly the best cornerback of the last decade for the Lions, who are you comparing him to, Terry Fair?

Bly had an annoying talent for making Lions fans cheer and jeer at the same time. He would jump a route and get a pick, then get burned on the next possession because he was overaggressive. He would exemplify leadership in the locker room one game, then turn around and throw his starting quarterback under the bus.

The only thing consistent about Bly was his inconsistency. Bly was a good, but not great cornerback, but there's a reason the Lions were quick to trade him for Tatum Bell.

David Sloan, Tight End

David Sloan made a Pro Bowl and amassed just over 2,000 yards receiving in seven seasons with the Honolulu blue. He averaged about 20 catches and two touchdowns a year, give or take a few.

Hmm...thanks, but no thanks.

I will say this though. Sloan had hands of glue. Unlike current tight end Brandon Pettigrew, when Sloan got the ball, he held on to it. He never fumbled once—I will repeat this, so make sure you're listening well—HE NEVER FUMBLED ONCE during his entire nine-year career in the NFL. Now that is impressive.

Luther Elliss, Defensive Lineman

This is the ultimate fall-from-grace tale, so I really don't mean to pile on a guy while he's going through hard times, but Luther Elliss is worthy of this list.

Elliss was an awfully likable guy, and was known for some bone-crunching hits and energy and enthusiasm on the sideline. So why is "Pass Rushing Luther" on this list?

Even though he totaled a combined 15 sacks in his second and third years in the NFL, he only tallied 12 in his final six seasons with the Lions.

It's not like Luther wasn't doing anything right; he made the Pro Bowl in two of those six seasons. However, he just wasn't that good overall despite his proximity to star defensive end Robert Porcher.

I'm not quite sure how a guy who averaged three sacks a season can earn the nickname "Pass Rushing Luther."

Ernie Sims, Linebacker

He may have been small, but he had that blazing sideline-to-sideline speed that would dazzle fans and burn opponents.

He had that speed, and...

Wait, what else was there?

I guess people miss Sims because the linebacker position has been in a state of aeon flux ever since he left. There seems to be some solidarity with Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy, but there's always a spot or two in the linebacking corps that is a revolving door of wasted talent.

Eddie Murray, Kicker

Once again, before you throw me to the wolves, harken back to the introductory slide. Overrated does not mean bad. It's hard to argue against "Steady" Eddie Murray. After all, he is the second-best kicker in Lions' history.

Yet, many Lions fans don't know just how distant a second he is. I have often engaged in the never-ending debate, "if Jason Hanson blah blah blah, then why not Eddie Murray?"

With all due respect to Steady Eddie, stop right there. That's just utter bupkis.

The only things that tie Murray to Hanson is that they were both kickers and both played in Detroit since what seems like the team's inception.

Okay, obviously it wasn't that long, but they both played in Detroit for a really long time.

Beyond that, anyone who dares try to compare the two kickers side by side simply doesn't understand how special Jason Hanson was.

Aside from the fact that Hanson has double the tenure of Murray (Murray played for 12 years, Hanson retired this offseason after 22), Hanson has done things no other kicker in history had done. If kickers were allowed into the Hall of Fame, and if I had a vote, he'd be on the first ballot. No doubt.